


Lost in the Mists of Time

by daggers_in_the_smiles_of_men



Category: The Worst Witch - All Media Types
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 14:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15245559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daggers_in_the_smiles_of_men/pseuds/daggers_in_the_smiles_of_men
Summary: Hecate finds herself in the Mists of Time and encounters Cackles of the past.





	Lost in the Mists of Time

If it had not been for the rather dramatic drop in temperature, Hecate might have thought a cloud had simply passed in front of the sun. As it were, however, there was now a certain chill in the air, and a gray haze fell over the grounds, bringing with it a thick, nearly tangible mist.

“Ada?”

Hecate’s voice sounded far away even to her own ears. The mist billowed around them, entirely blotting out their view of the school. Hecate instinctively stepped forward to protectively place herself herself between Ada and the whirring mist.

“Hecate, wait!”

Ada’s voice was drowned out by the howling of the wind. Hecate turned back to her but was met only with a mist so dense she could not see beyond her arm’s reach. Hecate plunged into the mist, frantically reaching out for Ada but finding nothing. The wind whistled, and the mist thinned just enough for Hecate to make out the entrance to the school. She felt unsteady on her feet as she raced to the door, hoping beyond hope that Ada too had found her way back inside.

Hecate turned a corner sharply, nearly colliding with the formidable figure of a woman so familiar to her that she instantly found comfort in her presence. Though her hair was a bit darker than Hecate was accustomed to and though there were admittedly fewer wrinkles on her alarmed but kind face, Hecate had no doubt that she had come far too close to toppling over Alma Cackle.

“Who are you?” Alma asked, pushing up her glasses from where they had slid so precariously down the bridge of her nose.

Hecate’s eyes widened as she struggled for an answer.

“I’m from Cackles' future,” Hecate answered hurriedly. “I was with Ada, and I got lost in the mists.”

“Ada?” Alma repeated, her eyebrows raising over the top of her glasses.

Hecate nodded, fearing she had revealed too much in her haste to explain.

“How well do you know Ada?” Alma continued curiously.

Hecate chewed at her lip and, feeling her cheeks flush hot, lowered her head.

“Ah, I see,” Alma replied, laughter bubbling in her voice.

Hecate took delight in the warmth of Alma’s pleased grin.

“Come with me, and we’ll try and get you sorted out,” Alma said, placing a careful but reassuring hand onto Hecate’s shoulder. “My office is right this way… Ah, but I suppose you know that,” she added, casting a side glance at Hecate.

Hecate nodded and followed silently.

“Now, let’s see,” Alma began as she entered the office. “As for the mists —“

“Mother!” a pair of young girls came shouting.

“Girls!” Alma reprimanded sharply, causing the pair to stop in their tracks.

Hecate’s breath caught in surprise as the small girl with glasses glanced at her with curious wide eyes. Alma cleared her throat.

“Agatha. Ada. Say hello to our guest.”

“Hello,” they chimed together.

The young girl that Hecate had recognized as Agatha appeared disinterested and impatient as she elbowed her twin hard in the ribs.

“Ask her!” she hissed in a harsh whisper that Alma could not hear.

“Mother,” young Ada began, anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “You promised you’d get our things out of the confiscation closet if we didn’t cause any more disturbances for three hours…”

Alma huffed a sigh.

“I’m busy with our guest at the moment. If you girls would like to —“

“It’s all right,” Hecate spoke up, feeling quite sorry for young Ada. “A few more moments shouldn’t hurt.”

From her view out the office window, the mist seemed even thicker than before; Hecate reasoned that surely she still had plenty of time… Perhaps she was being too soft-hearted toward a small girl with glasses and bright blue eyes, but when the girl smiled kindly up at her, Hecate was rather convinced she was doing the right thing.

Alma turned back to the girls and gave a reluctant nod.

“I’ll get your things,” Alma conceded, “but I don’t want to hear another peep from either of you for the rest of the day. Is that clear?”

There was a mischievous glint in Agatha’s eye as both girls nodded at their mother. Alma led the way through the door. As soon as she was certain Alma’s back was turned, Agatha shoved her sister and sprinted forward to catch up with their mother. Hecate’s heart ached as young Ada looked as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Left alone with the beautiful, mysterious stranger, young Ada could do little to hide her nervousness. She fumbled around with a book on her mother’s desk and tried to appear busy in an attempt to distract herself from the woman’s gaze.

Hecate smiled sweetly at the girl, causing her to drop the book she had been idly thumbing through. Blushing nervously, she scrambled to pick up the book and return it to the desk.

“You’re a lovely girl,” Hecate commented with pride. “And your mother told me how smart you are.”

Young Ada’s cheeks flushed a brighter shade of crimson.

“T-thank you,” she stammered. “B-but everyone says my sister is prettier and more interesting and much more fun to be with, and —“

“Nonsense,” Hecate interrupted.

“But it’s true!” young Ada frowned. “And I’m not as brave as she is,” she lowered her voice, as if revealing a secret.

Young Ada was uncertain why she was sharing so much with a complete stranger, but something about the gentleness in her beautiful brown eyes made Ada trust her. Hecate smiled softly at the girl and took one of her hands into both of her own.

“Ada…” she said in a hushed voice, “you mustn’t confuse kindness with weakness.”

Young Ada nodded thoughtfully in response as she mulled this over. Although she had heard similar reassuring sentiments from her mother for as long as she could remember, something about the stranger’s words resonated deeply with her.

“I had better go find my mother and Agatha,” she said uncertainly, “before Agatha has the chance to blame me for something she did.”

Hecate nodded. She felt a tug at her heart as the young girl flashed her a familiar warm smile before she raced out of the room to catch up with the others.

Hecate took a deep, slow breath in an attempt to still her whirring thoughts. Time was slipping through her fingers, and she had yet to figure out how to return to the present or find Ada… adult Ada, she mentally corrected herself.

“Hecate!”

Her body responded before she could even answer, her feet hastening to find the source of the voice.

“Ada”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Ada said, her face ruddy from worry and exertion. “We have to hurry, before the mist lifts completely.”

Their surroundings were a blur as Hecate raced after Ada back through the path to the exact point from which Hecate had entered. By the time they made it back to the grounds, the mist was noticeably less dense than before.

“Quickly!” Ada called, reaching back to grasp Hecate’s hand.

Together, they plunged through the icy mist, reemerging on the other side with hands still clasped together. Hecate turned back to where the mist had been as Ada let out a heavy sigh.

“What’s the matter, Hecate?” Ada asked, noting the downcast change in her countenance.

“I never said goodbye,” she answered softly.

“To whom?”

At this, Hecate smirked at her own foolishness.

“To you, actually… and your mother.”

Ada chuckled and rugged on her hand, bringing Hecate down to place a tender kiss onto her lips.

“Well, then,” Ada hummed in amusement. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to.”

**The end**


End file.
